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Tag: clinical trial(s)

This piece has been entered in the Patients Have Power Writing Contest run by Clara Health designed to raise awareness about clinical trials. I am passionate about this cause and hope it will help raise much needed awareness about the power of breakthrough research.

My Journey With LDN – Patients Have Power

I’ve been in pain for so long due to my chronic illnesses. A year and a half ago, I was finally accepted into a pain clinic. I knew that the goal would be to get me to have less pain and thus better living. My doctor is amazing and I’m so lucky that he’s the doctor who after such a long wait I got to see. I started with trigger point injections and I still have those every week. My Dr. thought that Low Dose Naltrexone or LDN would be a good fit for my fibromyalgia. Due to LDN and the effects on the body I had to talk to all my other doctors to make sure it would not have adverse reactions to my medications and conditions. With the okay from my medical team, I started LDN with a dose of 3mg. I ran into luck that the LDN is covered by my husband’s prescription plan so it only costs me $18 for a month with my co-pay.

Low Dose Naltrexone is not a common drug but in its original state, it’s used for drug overdoses. I’m not in a true clinical trial but I did my research on LDN and thought that I would try it. I had some crazy nightmares when I was taking it at bedtime so I now take my LDN in the morning and I’m past the point of side effects. I did have a hard time adjusting to it and I now only have Tylenol 3’s for breakthrough pain and traveling. I also have started taking medical cannabis for about three months in to help with nausea, pain, and sleep.

I believe that LDN has put me in a stable position with my fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s and arthritis. LDN is still in the clinical trials phase with the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. So while I’m not in an official drug trial with LDN, I’m wasn’t afraid to try a new medication that is still in the clinical trial phase. It’s working for me and that’s all that matters to me.

If you think that you’d like to be in a medical trial, Clara Health can point you in the right direction. Clara also has some awesome articles that are searchable at the Clara Guides and they also have free podcasts to listen to.

I consider myself to be a part of research because I’m taking LDN and it’s working for me even if it’s not specifically approved for my conditions. LDN has not cured me but I’m stable and I’ll take that until there is a cure. If your doctor suggests an alternative medication, don’t be afraid, research it and it could be the thing that stabilizesyou. I research my illnesses, treatments, and medications because I need to know what might work for me. Research your conditions, medications and don’t be afraid of clinical trials. If I qualify for any clinical trials near me I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up.

While I am writing this blog as a contest entry, I’m still very passionate about my treatment plan because if I share my journey then I might help someone else on their journey.